- Special Events
- Teacher of the Year
Jennifer Bruno
Barksdale Elementary School - Second-Grade Teacher
Teaching Philosophy
"Choose a job that you love and you will never have to work a day in your life!" - Confucius
Ready or not, here they come! Good thing I am ready! It is the sound of excitement as the students arrive each day down the second-grade hallway that motivates me. They are excited about learning and their teacher should be excited about teaching. Being a teacher is having a positive mindset. You cannot do this job effectively without it. I believe my students have to have, or learn how to have, the same mindset. I tell them to "change the way you think!" You may not be able to do something right now or feel that you are good at it, YET! In fact, that is the bulletin board hanging up in our classroom that we refer to daily. I have been teaching for 13 years, and I know that I grow more every year. A positive mindset is what makes for a happy teacher. The students know that too. I greet each student with a smile and a good morning. It is their confident responses, morning hugs and smiles back that make me excited too.
My classroom is so much more than a classroom. It is a place where students know that they are loved, valued, listened to and respected. My role as a teacher is to prepare these young individuals for this wonderful, yet very challenging, world we live in and to prepare them not only academically, but socially as well. I realize that I only have a short amount of time to do so. I must be efficient and effective with the time I have with them. From planning, to the delivery of the lessons and the reflection of each lesson; what went right; what did not go well; and where do I fit in the re-teaching if necessary. Who seems to understand and who does not. Every student learns in a different way. Being a teacher is not a Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. job, nor is it just one role. It is a 24/7/365 days of the year privilege. It is being a mom, dad and a trusted individual who helps to make them feel safe, confident and happy. Someone that they cannot wait to see after the breaks or summers. Someone they remember to invite to their high school graduation. You have to be able to develop positive and trusting relationships with all students. Find the positive in them all! They are someone's whole world!
Teaching is not for everyone, but I knew from very early on that it was for me. Like most teachers, when I was a little girl, I set up all of my stuffed animals and dolls in a row in front of my chalkboard and pretended to be a teacher. Today, my seven-year-old daughter does the same. Maybe teaching is in her future as well. She and my ten-year-old daughter are another reason I am the teacher that I am today. I see each student that enters my classroom as my own child. Yes, that includes the most challenging of students, too. I think to myself, what would I want for my own children in a teacher? A teacher who is consistent, structured, prepared, loving, patient, gives multiple chances but also has high expectations, challenges them and encourages them to work to their full potential. Someone that makes learning fun and keeps them wanting to come to school each day. My students know that I am learning just like them. It is okay to make mistakes, and it is okay to respectfully correct your teacher if she makes a mistake. I believe in giving children a fresh start each year and allowing them to be their own person. As humans, we are never finished learning. I enjoy attending training where I am fortunate enough to learn how to become a better, more effective teacher.
It sure does take a village. I could not and would not be able to be the teacher that I am without the colleagues and administration that support me on a daily basis. I am so lucky to have such strong and powerful relationships with my team. Our team understands, supports, values and appreciates one another. I believe we all know that we have the same goal, and that is the success of our students. We celebrate together when a struggling student suddenly has that "A-ha!" moment and makes a tremendous amount of growth by the end of the year. When teachers have the support and confidence they need, not only will they thrive, but their students will too. As we all know, teaching can be mentally and physically exhausting at times. We take a lot home with us, and certain situations can be hard to leave at work and can weigh heavily on our hearts and minds. We have to have our people, and I am so lucky to have mine.
As I reflect back through my years of teaching, I have learned and grown so much. I have been fortunate to have knowledgeable mentors, colleagues and administrators that have molded me into the teacher I have become today. I hope as a campus mentor to our new teachers that they will feel the same way one day. That they were supported, valued and appreciated. That their hard work does not go unnoticed. Being nominated for this award by the Barksdale staff has been an honor and very humbling. I truly enjoy being a teacher, and I honestly do not see myself ever doing anything else. It is just my calling. It is what I was meant to do.
Principal's Recommendation
Dear Teacher of the Year Committee,
It is with great honor I nominate Jennifer Bruno for Plano ISD’s 2019-20 Teacher of the Year. Mrs. Bruno is a master teacher with genuine concern for the success of ALL her students. She is a dedicated professional who is willing to do whatever is necessary to take care of children.
When walking into her classroom, you will find her calm demeanor skillfully differentiating the curriculum in order to meet the various levels of second-grade students. Jennifer is highly organized and very effective with classroom management. Love, security and high expectations radiate from her. She displays extreme patience and talent while educating students that may struggle with behavior or may struggle academically. Her experience and intuition allows her to know exactly what teaching style is most effective for each child. You will find Jennifer constantly working hard and encouraging these new ideas to reach a new level of excellence. She openly loves her students without condition and this dedication and commitment is evident to the entire Barksdale community.
In team planning, she is always prepared and ready to share new innovative ideas with her team members. She is humble and willing to give her time to help others become more effective teachers. Her teammates describe Jennifer as being the “go to” and “second in command” for pretty much anything and everything.
She currently serves as the mentor liaison for the campus. Jennifer meets with new staff members to make sure they are comfortable with the curriculum and provides them with any general information about the school. One of the new teachers this year has shared several times with me how patient and helpful she has been with her, another example of her humbleness and willingness to serve others.
Mrs. Bruno is a wonderful example of what we would want in all teachers. She is dedicated and committed to creatively meeting the needs of a diverse student population. She is a staff member that puts the needs of others first despite anything that is going on in her life! She is incredibly resilient, professional and kind-spirited. These qualities are apparent to her students, parents and coworkers. It is an honor to write this letter recommending Jennifer Bruno for Teacher of the Year!
Sincerely,
Jennifer Caplinger
Principal